His Secret Heart (Crown Creek)

by Theresa Leigh

  With a start, I realized I knew what road I was on.

  If I drove for another ten minutes, I’d be home.

  What would it take to step back into my old life?

  Was I ready?

  Was I worthy?

  For the first time since I left, I let myself think about it. I let my mind be open to the idea of reclaiming my life as Finn King. Could I do it? Could I apologize? Tell my brother I thought I was doing the right thing?

  Then ask him to help me find Sky?

  Sky. With her big laugh, and bright blue eyes. With her fire and sass and sarcasm.

  Esther had told me I was a good man. I almost believed her.

  But was I good enough for Sky?

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Sky

  “This has been the week from hell,” Claire sighed, shoving my blankets over so she could plop down on Livvy’s couch. “And I’m broke as fuck to add to it.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Livvy asked. “We skipping Thursday?”

  Claire looked scandalized. “No way!” She pressed a shocked hand to her heart and pretended to hyperventilate. “How dare you blaspheme?” The doorbell rang and she stood up grinning. “No, we’re just pre-gaming here first.”

  “She invited people over to your house?” I muttered to Livvy as Claire went to the door and let in Willa, Ruby, and Sadie.

  Livvy shrugged happily. “It’s Claire. I don’t ask questions. I just go along for the ride.

  It was one hell of a ride too. By the time eight o’clock rolled around, we were two bottles deep into the red wine. Claire declared herself 'on a mission from God,' and dragged a stool over to Livvy’s newly cleaned liquor cabinet. “You have terrible taste in tequila!” she shouted from up near the ceiling.

  “I have bad taste in friends too!” Livvy laughed.

  “Wait.” I sat up straighter. “Do you guys hear that?”

  The five girls went silent, listening with me. A faint whine, no more audible than a mosquito in the room. But it was getting louder.

  My hands shook so hard I had to set down my wine-glass.

  Sadie shook her head. “Calm down,” she instructed. “Breathe in through one nostril, then out through the other.” Easy for her to say. Everything I’d seen pointed to “calm” being Sadie's default state.

  “What the heck are you talking about?” I strained to listen. Was it coming closer?

  “Try not to worry so much.” Willa's motherly air made her seem a lot older than the rest of the girls around the table. "You’ve been jumping at every noise, honey.

  “Have I?”

  “What are you so worried about?”

  “I'm not sure.” I tried to snap out of it. But the feeling of impending doom was too much for me. It had been hanging around, like a dark cloud on the horizon, ever since our run-in with the Knights at the coffee shop.

  I was waiting for the storm to hit. The question was…. When?

  That made it impossible to pretend things were normal. But the only other option was to sit and go crazy. And I’d already done enough of that for one week.

  On Monday, I’d tried to go out and find a job. But I got scared when I spotted a man who could have maybe, possibly been at the my Dad's funeral and rushed back to the safety of Livvy's house.

  On Tuesday, I sat down with Livvy's computer and tried to put in applications online. But I wasted the entire day on obsessive searches. First, for information on the Knights. Digging through police records and incident reports didn't help my anxiety, so I stopped that quickly. Then I fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the music career of the King Brothers, only to log off in a panic when I saw a picture of young, smiling Finn.

  Yesterday, I’d stood frozen to the spot, watching as Finn strolled hand in hand down the center of Main Street. Until he got closer and I realized, with a sickening jolt, that it was Beau. Finn’s twin.

  I’d ducked into the diner. It was empty at that hour of the day, and the lights were much brighter than when I’d been there last Thursday night. I walked the perimeter of the place as I waited for Finn’s twin to pass.

  Which gave me ample time to take note of every single mention of my father on the walls.

  He’d apparently been some kind of town benefactor. His garage even sponsored the Little League Team. Knight’s Knights. They’d won the championship six times in a row, which mean there were six different plaques on the wall with my father’s face on them.

  I felt like I was going crazy. Finn, my father — This town was full of ghosts. “I’m a little freaked out still,” I tried to explain to Willa.

  But Willa wasn’t listening anymore. She’d turned her head because the sound was getting louder. One whine separated out into the sound of motorcycles.

  Plural.

  “Guys?” Livvy jumped up, knocking her legs against the table. No one gave a shit about the wine that spilled everywhere because we all moved at once. Claire was already at the door. Willa glanced at me, a question all over her face. Even Sadie looked a little alarmed. “What is it?” Livvy called.

  I closed my eyes. The storm I’d been waiting for?

  It was finally here.

  “It’s J.D.” Claire reported from her post at the door.

  I looked around wildly. “What should I do?”

  “Hide?”asked Sadie.

  Livvy shook her head. “You’re not hiding!”

  “Willa! Get the phone and dial 9-1,” Claire barked from the door. Willa nodded.

  “I’ll call Jonah,” Ruby said, dashing for the back door with her phone to her ear.

  Livvy moved close to me. “You don’t have to be afraid of anything,” she said. “We've got your back.”

  “I don’t even know why I’m scared,” I confessed.

  Heavy boots on the porch made us all jump and look to Claire. She went up on her tiptoes to see out the small rectangular window at the top. “Whaddya want, J.D.?” she bellowed through the door.

  “We want to talk!” came another voice.

  Claire went higher up on her tiptoes. “Oh yeah? Then talk!” she shouted.

  “Come on, sis!” came that same taunting, mocking voice. “Whaddya doin’ in there?”

  “Back off, Maddox,” Claire snapped. “You want me to tell Gabe you’re being a punk? You think he’s gonna like you scaring his sister like this?”

  “You’re not scared of anything, Claire.” But I heard footsteps and Claire’s shoulder relaxed slightly.

  Then rose again. “The fuck?”

  “I have a message for Sky Clarence Knight,” came the smooth, unctuous voice on the other side of the door.

  “Who is it?” Livvy hissed.

  Claire turned with a confused expression on her face. “Marc Auburn.”

  “The lawyer?” Sadie gasped.

  I looked between the three of them.

  “Jonah’s on his way,” Ruby reported, hurrying over from the back door.

  “You want me to dial one, Sky?” Willa’s finger was poised over the call button on her phone.

  I shook my head. So many questions. And no answers. I squeezed my eyes shut. “What’s the message?” I squeaked.

  There was a thump and the sound of men’s voices arguing. I heard “Back off,” and “… little bitch.” Livvy squeezed my arm.

  “I’m putting it in the mailbox, Miss Knight,” came the lawyer’s voice over the fray.

  “And then get out of here,” Claire called. “Marc? My Dad’s gonna hear about this.”

  “I know, Miss King. Tell him I said hello.”

  Claire scowled.

  As the footsteps retreated, I felt some of the tension drain away. Wills sighed and let her hand fall. Sadie blew out a long exhale and immediately started doing some neck rolls.

  “What is it?” I asked Claire, who was still watching the porch.

  “A letter,” she reported. We heard the sound of engines starting.

  I counted four of them and then the cough of a car starting.r />
  Claire opened the door so fast she was a blur, then yanked it shut again with a bang that made us all jump.

  “Here.” She handed me the embossed envelope.

  My new friends craned to look over my shoulder as I opened it and pulled out a piece of heavy, embossed paper. There were a few impersonal, typewritten words on a cover letter. Words like beneficiary, bequeath, and heir. But I had to read them over five different times before I could make sense of what they were saying.

  “It’s the deed to his house,” I said, faintly. “My inheritance.”

  We stared at each other.

  And then jumped when the door flew open.

  “Jonah!” Claire screamed.

  He was out of breath and wild eyed. He looked around in a panic, and then his face crumpled with relief when Ruby hurtled into him. He hugged her tight, whispering urgently and nodding when she nodded back. He touched her face one more time before moving to Claire and giving her a one-armed hug. “Hey, everyone,” he said with a wave. “I’m here.”

  “Right on time, too,” Claire laughed. “Now that the danger is over.” But she wrapped her arm around his shoulder all the same.

  Everyone started talking at once. Ruby tried to fill Jonah in on what happened, with frequent interruptions from his sister. Sadie kept trying to get everyone behind the idea of burning sage on the porch to dispel the evil energy. Willa drifted over to my side and looked at the envelope that had Livvy and I transfixed. “Is this what you wanted?” she asked me.

  I opened my mouth and then closed it. What I wanted was my father back so I could get some answers. “It’s something?” I whispered.

  Livvy squealed and hugged me tight. “That means you’re really staying!” she crowed.

  Willa squealed too and I couldn’t help but laugh as they both sandwiched me into a hug. But then I froze and looked up again.

  “What the fuck?” Claire shouted at the same moment Sadie cried, “They’re back!” The paper skittered from my hands.

  “Get back,” Jonah ordered me. “All of you. Stay back, you hear me?”

  “So bossy,” Claire muttered. But I noticed she was doing what her big brother said. We all were.

  It was the noise of only a single engine this time. When it cut out, the silence made my ears ring. Jonah stepped out onto the porch. Claire jumped to catch the door before it slammed shut and peered around it.

  “Who’s there?” Jonah called.

  “That you, King?” came the answer.

  “J.D.?” Jonah sounded confused. “The fuck are you doing here?”

  I peered around as J.D. walked up the single stair onto the concrete front porch. The porch light over his head illuminated him fully.

  His eyes were so much like my father.

  When he saw me, he held up his hands. “Sky.” He breathed out. “Listen.”

  I shook my head. “What do you want? Leave me alone.”

  “You heard her,” Jonah said, immediately stepping between us. “Get the fuck out of here.”

  J.D. sidestepped him, keeping his eyes trained on me. “Look, that was shitty, I know. I’m going to kick Maddox’s ass for what just happened, you’d better believe it. He had the idea to get to you first. Before the lawyer.” He exhaled. “He’s never been the smartest one. Too many blows to the head.”

  “What do you want?” I asked shakily.

  “Just to talk. Okay?”

  “I’ve got nothing to say to you.”

  “Yeah. My brothers and sister say the same thing. But we’ve got a lot to say to each other. Don’t you think?”

  I opened my mouth but no sound came out.

  J.D. looked down. He wavered a moment, his foot in the air, halfway into turning around. “Think about it,” he went on. “Come by the garage any time. Our door is always open.” He lifted his gaze back to me. “We have a lot of catching up to do.” His mouth twisted. “Sis.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Finn

  I answered the phone on the first ring. “You need me?” I asked Dinah.

  “Just to open your door,” she answered, then hung up.

  I went to the window and saw the bouncing headlights approaching. I unlocked my door and stood with my arms crossed against the cold night.

  Dinah got out and hurried around to collect her passenger, holding her tight as she brought her across the gravel apron to my door. "Sorry," the camp owner apologized. "Hope we didn't wake you.”

  "I'm awake," I told her. “Is she okay? Why didn’t you let me do the pick-up?”

  The pick-up was a pale white ghost trying to stay in Dinah’s shadow. The older woman hovered over her protectively. "It was an emergency,” Dinah explained. “And one I needed to do. For personal reasons.” She looked exhausted, a hunted look in her eyes. “It’s kind of cold?”

  "Right. Sorry." I stepped back and gestured for them to come in. The girl skirted past me, but I wasn’t insulted. I was used to these girls now. And tried to make myself as small and unthreatening looking as possible. I’d even trimmed my beard.

  I smiled at the girl. "What's your name?"

  "Anna.” She wouldn’t look at me.

  "Anna, I'm Finn. You're probably tired." I gestured to the bed, and her eyes went fractionally wider.

  Dinah put a hand on her elbow. "Absolutely not, honey. You can trust Finn. He's one of us."

  I nodded, feeling myself stand up a little straighter. I was. Wasn't I? “You get yourself situated. I’m gonna step out with Dinah, okay? And don’t worry, I'm going to sleep on the couch. I'd sleep in the tent outside, but it's a little too cold for that."

  Anna shivered, and then nodded.

  I stepped outside, and Dinah shut the door carefully behind her, patting it like she wanted to make sure it was secure. “Thank you," she said.

  "Is she okay?” I wanted to know.

  Dinah inhaled sharply. “She will be. But we have to scramble.”

  I nodded. "She need a plane ticket? Bus ticket?"

  She shook her head. “I think it's not quite so simple this time around." She had distracted, worried look on her face. "I'm going to make a few calls, okay? Just make sure she's safe."

  Dinah clapped her hand on my arm, squeezing it in her surprisingly strong grip. "Thanks," she said again.

  I nodded. It was still too hard to see the gratitude in her eyes when I didn't feel I deserved it yet.

  I went back into my trailer and fixed Anna a mug of hot chocolate. Then I made sure she was comfortable before curling up the couch. I told her good night. Then I laid there listening.

  It took a long time for her to fall asleep. I could tell by the way she was breathing. But she finally did, I fell asleep a few minutes later, figuring tomorrow would be spent the usual way. Putting calls out to relatives, finding her new clothes, getting her a haircut. Nothing out of the ordinary.

  Nothing I hadn't done before.

  Why I jerked awake in the middle of the night, I had no idea. But the jolt was so sudden, I was on my feet and moving to the window before I’d even stopped dreaming.

  Anna was still sleeping, curled up at the very edge of the bed. I breathed a silent prayer of thanks that I hadn’t woken her. Why was I even awake, anyway? What had I heard? An owl? Hunters getting an early start to the day?

  Whatever it was had me on high alert.

  And there it was again. An engine. Someone coming down the road. At this time of night?

  Anna flew up, and yanked the covers up high when she saw me. "Where?" she gasped.

  "You're safe," I reminded her, holding out a steadying hand. “Keep quiet, okay?” I pressed my fingers to my lips, and raised my eyebrows.

  She nodded, going so far as to clap her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming.

  Slowly, I put one foot in to the front of the other until I was right at the door of the trailer. I pressed my ear against it, listening.

  There was no mistaking it. Someone was driving around the campground. Slowly. Like they were l
ooking for something.

  Or someone.

  My burner phone buzzed on the counter. I snatched it before the noise gave us away. "Yeah," I murmured into it.